It is possible for a fan bearing to be slightly damaged and cause abnormal noise even at 2000rpm. Possible, but unlikely.

There is alway going to be some noise if a fan is turning an air is flowing. It should be a faint whoosh sound. To really know if it's abnormal you'll likely going to have to compare it to other MBAs, preferably at an Apple Store or Best Buy if you have one near by. However, as the previous poster said, I will be completely silent when it's off.

It is possible for a fan bearing to be slightly damaged and cause abnormal noise even at 2000rpm. Possible, but unlikely.

There is alway going to be some noise if a fan is turning an air is flowing. It should be a faint whoosh sound. To really know if it's abnormal you'll likely going to have to compare it to other MBAs, preferably at an Apple Store or Best Buy if you have one near by. However, as the previous poster said, I will be completely silent when it's off.

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An Apple Store just opening or closing, a Best Buy will be probably better

The air will make a little bit of noise but is silent when ambient sounds are considered. If you live in a really quiet area with no traffic everything is off (including AC/Heating/etc.) then its possible to hear it faintly if you are looking for it.

Mine runs around 55-57 even when I am just typing and surfing and not doing much else and the fan is also around 2,000 rpm. I can't hear anything unless I put my ear up to it.

As long as it doesn't sound like a jet is taking off or like its going to crack, its probably fine. Lets put this this way: is the sound so loud that it bothers you?

also, my computer almost constantly makes a noise that sounds a lot like old windows computers used to when the processor was running. is this normal?

i know people say just go to the apple store and check it out.. but its too loud in there!

edit: i hear both the fan and this in combination all the time. not loud but definitely audible in a quiet room (where i often am because of studying)

holding the left side to my ear, i hear the fan
holding the right side to my hear, i hear the noises i am familiar with in windows --- like a hard drive

i figured a solid state hard drive is not supposed to make noises though... right?

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Install one of the utilities that reports the fan speed and let us know what it's reading.

Couple of possibilities here -

1) your fans are running too high. If so, we need to figure out why
2) your fans are running at idle speed but still making an abnormal amount of noise. This would require service
3) your fans are running normally but you're ultra sensitive to the sound

Install one of the utilities that reports the fan speed and let us know what it's reading.

Couple of possibilities here -

1) your fans are running too high. If so, we need to figure out why
2) your fans are running at idle speed but still making an abnormal amount of noise. This would require service
3) your fans are running normally but you're ultra sensitive to the sound

Click to expand...

reset PRAM and run repair disk permissions - or the other way around.

I rarely if ever hear the fans kicking in on my MBA i5 128gb.

xraydoc's #2 suggestion is the most appropriate if the above don't fixit for you

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